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I know you're taking the [censored]. Such a funny running gag - comedy gold. But if this were a serious question and not a wind up, my best guess is it is almost finished. Actually to be accurate, i think the extra work has finished but we have another week where that additional work (ie extra work on top of the standard in season training loads) will impact our ability to cover the ground. This aligns with Selwyn Griffiths comments about what the training program will look like over the course of the season in the DL interview way back in March. Our pressure fell away to 158 in the last quarter against the Saints, a good indicator of fatigue - having not broken 180 for the match (180 is AFL average and 200 is considered elite). Team pressure Quarter For Against 1 176 173 2 174 169 3 178 186 4 158 172 Match 172 175 No doubt how physically taxing the Alice game was, combined with the six day break, is a big factor, but my assumption is loading is also a factor (and by the by, also a big factor in the selection decisions over the last month or so). But we were looking to spread against the Saints more than we have since the Hawks win, which suggests to me we are getting close. We have another six day break into the Lions game (as do they fortunately), but I think we will be closer to optimal running power on Friday night. Unlike say the Pies or the Crows (who we play the following week), the Lions, with their chronic lack of leg speed (which i think is the key reason they struggle at the G) are not well placed to exploit any lack of run in our legs. But as noted, i think we are closer to our best shape and will look to spread and switch more than say against the Pies or Blues. And we will match them in the contest no problem. We then have nine days into the Crows game, with no travel this week or next week (unlike our two opponents). My prediction is we will be cherry ripe against the Burgess Crows (who are very well placed to exploit any lack of run) and will start playing our very best football, with the sort of overlap running, fast transition, switching lanes, using the corridor, more risk, high scoring footy we saw rounds 1-6. Giddy up.

Although I don't really like saying this... I hope Collingwood smashes them next week and kills any fighting spirit left in the Dockers. Then it becomes a down hill until the end season for them, all the way down to bottom 5 🤞🏻.

Jackson has played his best footy when Darcy has been out injured or when Darcy has been in injured. Basically when he gets to carry the ruck load. ...as we know, he's not a forward. We have the same issue with Max.

To be fair Wanganeen was impressive

Excuse me: Clarry 6 games and likely 10. Fritta not right most of the season and then missing about 10 games. Tom Mac surgery and half a season missing. Salem nearly half a season. Gawn 5 games. Petty a few games. BBB multiple games. Hibbo half a season at least. That is 30% of the Premiership side missing large chunks of the season, affecting team performance and continuity. Also several injuries contributed to the loss of the game in which the injury occurred.

I agree with you. Unless we win.

Why is anybody talking about Bowser being dropped? He’s well on his way to a 200 game career. Weird.

The oldest club in the land was born 165 years ago today. Club Timeline

https://www.afl.com.au/news/963072 This article has the remaining fixtures for all teams. Having looked at all those team around Freo I expect Swan, Richmond and Carlton to finish well above them. The two team that concern me the most are the Suns and GWS as both don’t have any easy games in the run in. Think it will be between those two and Freo for draft picks 4-6. I’d be happy with any of those picks. But I’ll be death riding hard and hoping we get pick 4.

In July 2021 we lost to GWS at the MCG, beat Port in Adelaide, drew with Hawthorn at the MCG and then lost to the Dogs at the MCG. That was apparently in "the perfect season". Just sayin' ...

Yep. He'll retire in his early thirties a multi millionaire. Dont forget Freo might come good in a few years. Why would anyone feel sorry for him. Absurd.

The kid made his own decision, I have zero sympathy for him if it doesn't work out for him at Freo.

I don't think we can or should drop Rivers. IMO he offers positional flexibility and should be rotated between the backline and midfield as part of our ongoing attempts to revitalise our midfield. He's also been very good for most of the year and even if he was down this weekend that can't cost him his spot.

Having watched Fox’s replay I understand some of the negativity post game. Darcy openly barracking for St Kilda during play, and then the half time team talking about what a monumental victory it will be for St Kilda. It felt like we struggled. The sad reality for most footy fans was that was a VERY Melbourne win. We won by taking a lot of intercept marks in defence, absorbing pressure, and then being calculated moving the ball.

Some hard truths for fans to accept to live more comfortably: The Demons are a defence first team in the Ross Lyon mould. Demonland: Gawn’s days of AA footy are over. Deeland: Pickett’s games are earned on his defensive work. Dland: BBB is our best tall forward. Andy’s house of pain:

Yes, I had a talk to Disco at the game. He's out for around 8 weeks having had surgery to repair a fracture in his wrist. I didn't know he had also damaged some ribs that he has been hindered by. He said it will be good to get that healed properly during his time out. Seemed pretty confident he would be back in time for finals. In another piece of interesting news I overheard Richo talking to Choco saying it was the best game he has seen AMW play. Seems to be coming along nicely.

perhaps the extra 'gather' round plays a part in that too

No one with any football IQ is seriously considering dropping Rivers, it’s absurd.

Our back line really is elite, isn't it? When we start talking about dropping the likes of Rivers after one average (not awful) it really shows the standard we have in our back half. There are no weaknesses. Bowey's decision making and ball use is just pure class. You forget he's only 20 and only going to get better. I would be keeping Hibberd on ice as much as we can leading up to finals. Another random note that I don't think has been talked about enough is that because of our incredible depth down back it's meant one less position Gus has had to fill or help out in. He's been able to be released into Midfield and forward half which really benefits us with winning the ball in the front half.

DAY OF THE MOOSE by KC from Casey The Casey Demons celebrated stalwart Jimmy Munro’s 150th VFL game with a pulsating 34-point victory over the Sandringham Zebras at the Trevor Barker Beach Oval on Sunday. The win was the club’s third in succession and more importantly, saw it return to the top four on the competition ladder. The visitors were never headed through the game and had winners all over the ground with the exception of in the ruck where the Zebras’ seasoned big man Tom Campbell used his vast advantage in size and experience to control the ruck duels and often giving his teammates the first use out of the stoppages. However, his opponent in the absence of regular ruckman Jack Bell was not disgraced. Rookie ruckman Will Verrall battled manfully to accumulate 15 possessions to go with his 15 hit outs and six tackles. It was an education that will hold him in good stead in the future. Elsewhere around the ground, it was the Demons who were doing most of the teaching. Playing in the key forward role, Josh Schache kicked four goals straight which will not hurt his AFL prospects given the club’s issues in finding the best connection between its midfield and its forward unit. Jacob van Rooyen had his moments but was beaten early and played better when further afield. He finished with just one goal. Other Melbourne youngsters with future forward potential in Matt Jefferson and Oliver Sestan were quiet. The best of the Melbourne listed players are all closing in on veteran stage. Adam Tomlinson, unlucky to be out of AFL action at the moment, picked up 27 touches and nine marks playing deep in defence, James Harmes collected 26 touches, had six clearances, eight tackles and kicked a goal while former Saint and Zebra Luke Dunstan had 22 disposals and nine tackles. Blake Howes matched that number of possessions but went off injured late in the game with what has been reported as a severe cramp. Rookies Deakyn Smith, busy with 19 disposals and nine marks and Andy Moniz-Wakefield two goals, were handy contributors. But the day belonged to 150 gamer and Casey premiership player “Moose” Munro who put in a typically hard performance with nine kicks, eight handballs and nine tackles, a performance he would have relished particularly as it was against his original team Sandringham for who he played 22 games a decade ago. Tom Freeman with 19 touches and Tyler Edwards (two goals) both produced their best games for the club in a pleasing effort for the Demons who have a bye next week. Unfortunately, this means they will lose their hard fought for position in the top four because they are equal on points with Box Hill and North Melbourne who meet each other in the next round. CASEY DEMONS 4.6.30 6.8.44 9.12.66 13.15.93 SANDRINGHAM 2.0.12 3.4.22 4.7.31 8.11.59 GOALS CASEY DEMONS Schache 4 Edwards Laurie Moniz-Wakefield 2 Harmes van Rooyen White SANDRINGHAM Heath 3 Gawn Hipwell Hotton Keeler Peris BEST CASEY DEMONS Harmes Tomlinson Schache Dunstan Freeman Munro SANDRINGHAM Campbell Bytel Clark Highmore Hayes Statistics Jed Adams 10 kicks 3 handballs 13 disposals 8 marks 5 tackles 80 dream team points Riley Baldi 3 kicks 4 handballs 7 disposals 2 marks 3 tackles 32 dream team points Kade Chandler 9 kicks 7 handballs 16 disposals 4 marks 2 tackles 61 dream team points Luke Dunstan 1 behind 12 kicks 10 handballs 22 disposals 2 marks 9 tackles 93 dream team points Tyler Edwards 2 goals 13 kicks 1 handballs 14 disposals 4 marks 3 tackles 77 dream team points Tom Freeman 13 kicks 6 handballs 19 disposals 11 marks 1 tackles 89 dream team points James Harmes 1 goal 2 behinds 9 kicks 17 handballs 26 disposals 6 marks 8 tackles 115 dream team points Blake Howes 1 behind 14 kicks 8 handballs 22 disposals 5 marks 4 tackles 82 dream team points Matt Jefferson 5 kicks 1 handball 6 disposals 4 marks 1 tackle 34 dream team points Bailey Laurie 2 goals 7 kicks 8 handballs 15 disposals 3 marks 6 tackles 76 dream team points Tom Macrae 1 kick 3 handballs 4 disposals 9 dream team points Andy Moniz-Wakefield 2 goals 2 behinds 8 kicks 3 handballs 11 disposals 3 marks 7 tackles 81 dream team points Ned Moodie 7 kicks 7 handballs 14 disposals marks 53 dream team points James Munro 3 behinds 9 kicks 8 handballs 17 disposals 2 marks 9 tackles 83 dream team points Josh Schache 4 goals 10 kicks 2 handballs 12 disposals 8 marks 4 tackles 3 hit outs 103 dream team points Oliver Sestan 4 kicks 2 handballs 6 disposals 1 mark 1 tackles 23 dream team points Deaykin Smith 14 kicks 5 handballs 19 disposals 9 marks 79 dream team points Roan Steele 12 kicks 6 handballs 18 disposals 2 marks 2 tackles 64 dream team points Adam Tomlinson 21 kicks 6 handballs 27 disposals 9 marks 94 dream team points Ryan Valentine 4 kicks 1 handballs 5 disposals 4 marks 1 tackles 8 hit outs 35 dream team points Jacob van Rooyen 1 goals 1 behind 6 kicks 3 handballs 9 disposals 4 marks 5 tackles 45 dream team points Will Verrall 1 kicks 14 handballs 15 disposals 6 tackles 15 hit outs 70 dream team points Mitch White 1 goal 7 kicks 5 handballs 12 disposals 1 marks 3 tackles 52 dream team points

I don't feel he gets found out 1v1 any more than any other defender. Sure, his height goes against him at times, but he usually makes a good fist out of it, even when he's at a height disadvantage.

I expect that you have a list of prospects in your negative box, SPC fence - the VFL, as it stands, (principally the endless byes, and far too many teams requiring interstate travel for part timers who also have real jobs) is just not a good place to rigorously develop talent, and ease players back from injury. Bring the VFL back to V - the interstate teams can play their "reserves" in their own local competitions. And get an even number of teams FCS - though I guess we will be expected to get used to the rolling bye in AFL as just another inequity in an already grotesquely compromised schedule (amusingly also AKA a 'draw')

And here we are …

He is certainly quite mobile and has a good leap - he was well beaten in the ruck by a much stronger opponent - the strength and knowledge to counter that will come with one or two more pre seasons Every game he gets through given his delayed start this year is a bonus in terms of his development I think he has potential to be a good ruck / forward given time

I really hope we go for the Caulfield option it's perfect. Please don't let this opportunity slip like Olympic Park presinct

He’s been in the doldrums for too long. I don’t think Casey is the go so I reckon get him on ball so he can get some touches and feel his way back into form.

He looked like he 'belonged' at AFL level. Certainly not overawed. Good debut.

We have a great in to finals. We should win at least 5 which means top 4 Everyone ready for week 1 V the Pies?!?! would prefer that over away to Port

That’s the spirit.

I like the look of Verrall. He’s going to take time but he moves and thinks like a footballer, which is rare for young rucks.

Our three major threats for top 4 are Essendon, Bulldogs and Geelong. I have Essendon going 13-10 with losses to Geelong, Dogs and Collingwood. Therefore we need to go 3-4 to finish above them. Very achievable. I have Geelong going 14-8-1 and only losing to Brisbane, while beating Port at home and even beating Collingwood in a revenge game from round 1. Therefore we need to go 5-2 to finish above them. Tough proposition. (maybe I rate Geelong higher than others but they are the reigning premiers and should be respected as such) I have Bulldogs going 14-9 with losses only to Geelong in Geelong and a loss to one of Sydney away or Richmond at Marvel. They have a pretty soft draw. Therefore we need to go 4-3 to finish above them. Achievable. At the end of the day, we need to improve significantly in our front half if we end up finishing top 4 and are to beat Port or Collingwood in week 1. Therefore I don't see a massive difference at the moment in finishing 4th or 5th. Either scenario will most likely land us into a semi final IMO.

I thought the Saints were really honest on Saturday night. Ross has got their effort and accountability working, that’s for sure, and I reckon that’s been a problem for them since he left. The big thing I noticed on Saturday night was our defensive positioning was elite. May (obviously), Petty, McVee and Bowey were able to get intercept marks while still guarding an opponent. It was a very workmanlike performance from our midfield to maintain enough pressure on the ball carrier to create inefficient kicks - especially considering no Oliver, and Tracc 80% forward. St Kilda kept trying to maintain a pure balance all over the field, so they had a player accountable for each of our defenders. They clearly thought that if Tracc was forward they could get us for talent and speed at the contest, but our guys worked at it and broke even. It was a really good battle. I hope we can take some confidence out of it, as that’s what we need more than anything right now.

Was pleased to see Bowie take 1 (or a couple?) of marks in traffic, he' s better overhead than I have given credit for.

The last time he played on Cameron he got 5 kicked on him. Pass.

In - Supporters. It’s been a month since we had a G game. Get to the ground. Help the players build momentum and belief. It really makes a difference.

Yes, fans are pretty good at re-writing history based on final outcomes. After 19 rounds in 2021 we were 3rd and not playing well. That all turned around with the GC win in Round 20 and from then everything turned to gold. If we'd lost to Geelong in Round 23 we would have been playing Port in Adelaide in a Qualifying and who knows? Agreed. Obviously Top 2 would have been great but finishing 4th and playing Collingwood at the MCG is the same as finishing 1st and playing Collingwood at the MCG. You don't decide who is relevant and a legitimate premiership chance with 6 rounds of the season to go. Also whether it's an 8-point game remaims to be seen. You'll only know that with the benefit of hindsight. One thing we do know and that is the Brisbane & Melbourne ladder positions won't change next week. I'd say it's an important game to win because it will help us in our attempts to finish Top 4 at season end. You could argue (again we won'y know til season's end) that it might be better to lose as finishing 4th and playing Colingwood would arguably be better than finishing 3rd and playing Port. Of course all that depends on what happens in the last 7 rounds. We definitely won't be finishing Top 2 unfortunately.

I believe 1 of Duursma, Caddy, Mckercher, Sanders or Curtin will be available at pick 6. So no doubt JT and the footy department are working through the possibilities

The mean man on the telly didn't say nice things about my football team. Mummy, please make him go away.

I'm facepalming myself, not you, LFS. Good pick up!

I love it when people pick at a spelling mistake while making one of their own. Makes the world seem more rite......

Which one? "Death and the Maiden" by Schubert? I must admit, I hadn't realised Pickett could be motivated by classical strings. Seriously, what do we think might be wrong with Pickett? He's obviously not playing anywhere near his best. But why has he not been in any centre bounces for 10 weeks after being their occasionally in the first few rounds? Does this mean the club is helping him manage an injury?

Good call. Similarly, match selections caused a lot of surprise...and some hysteria. In the end, the sections worked out well. Melksham's forward craft was very good and much needed in Fritsch's absence. JJ and Spargo showed their form against Collingwood and Geelong was an aberration and were back to their usual standard. Woewodin's debut was promising. Most significantly, selecting an extra midfielder allowed Petracca to play forward, which was the match winning move. Sure, it's unlikely a premiership winning configuration but it achieved the objective of getting the 4 points in a critical game.

Cream rises to the top as Allies claim maiden title VIC COUNTRY 3.2.20 6.4.40 7.5.47 10.10 (70) 
ALLIES 2.3.15 5.4.34 10.8.68 12.9 (81) GOALS: Vic Country: Z. Duursma 2, M. Rudd 2, D. Wilson 2, G. Stevens, S. Lalor, A. Read, F. O’Sullivan 
Allies: J. Walter 2, P. Gothard 2, C. McKercher 2, O. Turner 2, J. Glanvill, J. Callinan, T. Gander, C. McCormack BEST: Vic Country: F. O’Sullivan, A. Hastie, A. Reid, W. Dawson, G. Stevens, D. Wilson 
Allies: C. Cleary, C. McKercher, R. Sanders, E. Read, J. Rogers, C. O’Sullivan VICTORIA METRO 5.1.31 10.5.64 14.10.94 19.13 (127) WESTERN AUSTRALIA 1.3.9 2.5.17 5.6.36 6.10 (46) GOALS: Victoria Metro: N. Watson 5, L. Morris 4, N. Caddy 3, C. Harrop 2, K. Brown, T. Hotton, R. Weatherill, C. Windsor, H. Johnston Western Australia: K. Sanchez 3, K. Dehavilland, E. Logan, R. Torrent BEST: Victoria Metro: L. Morris, N. Watson, W. Brown, K. Brown, H. Johnston, C. Windsor 
Western Australia: D. Curtin, K. Sanchez, C. Hall, K. Tholstrup, A. O’Driscoll, R. Torrent

I'd probably say no change. Howes was good, but he'll get eaten alive in the contest at AFL level. Needs a bit more development - next year is his year. Thought Spargo did ok and whilst kozzie looked awful round the ball, he had the 3rd most pressure acts and we would desperately miss his speed and tank if he was dropped. Chandler continued his nothing form in the VFL. To be honest, AMW isn't that far behind any of our small forwards. Not sure how his tank is or whether he could play the structure as well as the others, but he's quicker than Chandler and Spargo, can jump higher, combative and seems to get involved in scoring chains. Quite mercurial. He isn't that far away. Harmes was awful I thought. Our midfield depth is a concern - our first bounce against the Lions will be Viney, Sparrow and Jordon in all likelihood. A top end midfield draft pick or two is in need before the era of track and Clarry begins to pass. It's a shame Mitch White never moved into the midfield during his AFL days. He is an absolute warrior and a terrific player, good ball user. He and Munro are critical to Casey's success.

The Allies will be the National Champions for the first time after beating Vic Country today. Vic Metro’s annihilation of WA won’t be enough to give them a chance of winning the competition even if they beat Vic Country in the final game next week. Tassie gun fires as the Wizard bags five in a half Melbourne father/son hopeful Kynan Brown did no harm to his draft prospects. “Melbourne father-son prospect Kynan Brown, the son of former Demon Nathan, was impressive with 26 disposals, six clearances and one goal in the midfield for Vic Metro.”

I don’t reckon Goodwin got enough credit for the win last night. He backed in Viney, Brayshaw, Sparrow and Jordan, and kept Tracc forward for 80% of that game. With Oliver out that’s our 2 best midfielders down. Simon held his nerve, and in the end Tracc was the difference in the game.

We have ANB and Spargo who are apparently defensive forwards. We need Pickett to actually have the football, rove packs and hit the scoreboard. If that’s not the role Goodwin is giving him, then the finger needs to be pointed at him. Pressure acts are great, but half chasing blokes and sitting off the contest stinks of lazy mindset.